Seal-press.



Patented Dec. l2, |899.

No. 638,84l.

J. F. GENT.

SEAL PRESS.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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Unrrnn STATES PATENT L' Tricia JOSEPH F. GENT, OF INDIANAPOLTS, lNDlANA.

SEAL-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,841, dated December 12, 1899.

Application firearms 5, 1899. serai No. 711,794.; (No man.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. GENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in seal-presses; and the object of the invention is to lock the die on its bed when the press is not in use to prevent the unauthorized use of the seal.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism 'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-fv Figure l is a View in side elevation of a seal-press made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, adetail in vertical section on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a detail in horizontal section on the Adotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the tumblers of the permutation-lock also in section and in position to lock the seal; Fig. 4, a like view showing thetumblers iu plan View in their unlocked positions; Fig. 5, details of the fastening by which the tumblers are locked on their spindle; Fig. 6, a detail in vertical section of a modified application of apermutation-lock to a sealpress, and Fig. 7 a second modified construction of same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A is a species of die havingthe device to be impressed cut in intaglio on its face for the purpose of stamping the device upon paper. It is secured to the lower end of a longitudinally-reciprocating shaft B, which is supported and directed by the standard C and is depressed by the handle D, having the cam d, and is thrown up by the spring C4. The standard is integral with the base C', upon which and secured to it is the bed E, having the device in relief to register with that on the face of the die.

Extending into the standard C from one side is a socket F, which is circular in crosssection. The socket overlaps the shaft B, as shown in Fig. 2, and the shaft is notched to complete the unbroken circular formation of the socket when the shaft is in its lowest position,with the die resting on its bed.. Seated in the socket and closely filling it are the circular tu mblers G of a permutation-lock. The drawings show four tumblers; but the number may be more or less. They are loosely mounted on the transverse shaftv H, which is journaled in a suitable opening through the bottom of the socket. The opposite end has a knob h, by which the shaft is turned, and the knob end of the shaft is Vheld in place by the' thickdisk h', the outer side of which has the graduations and index numbers for working the lock.

Each of the tumblers G is similarly mutilated by the removal of a segment on one side, from g to g', equal in area tothe segment of the socket cut off by the shaft B. When the rounded side of one or more of the tum-` blers is in the notch in the side of the shaft, the latter will be held from longitudinal movemeut by said tumbler', but when the mutilated sides of all of the tumblers are toward the shaft the latter will have unrestricted longitudinal movement, and the seal can be used for making impressions. It will be noted that the shaft is locked by the tumblers when in its lowered position, and while this is not imperative it is preferable, because the die is then resting on its bed and no opportunity is afforded for fcopying the design of the seal. The tumblers may be of any well-known construction and operation. Those shown in the drawings are in two detachable concentric sections,which are notched togetherin a manner to permit the outer section to be turned around to anew position on the inner one for the purpose of changing the combination. The inner section has an annular groove I on one side and a pin or lug K on the opposite side to enter the groove in the next adjacent tumbler, and each groove is provided with a stop J to contact with the lug which travels in its groove and cause the tumbler carrying the stop to be rotated by the tumbler carrying the lug. The drawings show a shifting stop J, which arrests the lug always at a position diametrically opposite the number on which the tumbler is set, no matter which direction the tumbler is rotated. The stop is IOC) part of a rotarily-movable ringfand its outer end Works in a notch in the outer Wall of the annular groove I.

The disk h rotates with the shaft H, and secured to it in a manner to cause it to move with the said disk h is a disk h2, having the first lug h3 of the series through which the tumblers are successively Worked.

To prevent the withdrawal of all of the tumblers from the socket, Which would break the lock and enable the seal to be used, the end of the shaft H might be riveted at its projecting end on the side of the seal opposite the knob; but this Would make the removal of the tumblers for the purpose of changing the combination also impossible. I therefore out a V-shaped channel S in the face of the assembled tumblers, extending circumferentially, and make the notch in the shaft B with a corresponding longitudinal central ridge R. By turning the tu mblers all into their unlocked position, as shown in Fig. 4, they can be slipped into place in the socket and can likewise be Withdrawn Whenever the seal is unlocked; but the moment the two inner tumblers are moved their sloping edges contact With the ridge R in the notch of the shaft B, and the removal of the tumblers is impossible.

To prevent the Withdrawal of the shaft H, Which also would break the lock, I provide a circumferential groove t, close to the outer side of the last tumbler, and spring the split- Wire Washerj into the groove. The shaft H cannot be drawn out through the tumblers. The accidental displacement or Withdrawal of the tumblers While the seal is unlocked is prevented by the pin Z through its end. By removing the pin, which' is easily done, the tumblers can be taken out of the socket; but this can only be done While the seal is unlocked, which is supposed only to happen When it is in charge of the rightful custodian of the seal.

In the modiiication shown in Fig. 6 the tumblers G3 have square notches g3, into which the sliding bar L can be moved When the notches are brought into alinement and by which movement of the bar the seal-shaft travels downsthrough the slots N in the tumblers M when the latter are brought into alinement. Otherwise the lug Will be held from movement by the tumblers.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a seal-press the combination with a die-carrying shaft reciprocating through a suitable opening in the press-body, a press` body having an opening for the shaft and having an adjacent socket to receive tu mblers, and said shaft having a notched portion Which passes the socket, of a plurality of permutation-lock tumblers seated in said socket and adapted to enter the notch of the shaft, said tumblers being of various diameters to prevent Withdrawal by contact with projecting parts of the shaft at the notch and said tumblers having mutilated edges, as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a seal-press, the combination, with the press-body having a shaft-opening and an adjacent socket, and a notched dieicarrying shaft reciprocating in the shaft-opening in the body, of permutation-lock tumblers seated in the socket to engage the notch of the shaft and means to prevent the Withdrawal of the tumblers while the press is locked, consisting of inside tumblers larger in diameter than the space between the socketvvalls and the shaft, said tumblers being mutilated as shown and described to permit of their insertion past the shaft and to allovv the shaft to reciprocate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 6th day of March, A. D. 1899.

JOSEPH F. GENT.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. MINTURN, CARL SCHLAGEL. 

